Botanic Garden and Nature Reserve
Exploring Our Hillside
Botanic Garden and Nature Reserve Caring For Our Hillside Exploring Our Hillside

Kwun Yum Shan Summit

Nine kilometres of winding roads and eight kilometres of footpaths weave their way up the hillside to the summit of Kwun Yum Shan, about 550 metres above sea level. From here, you can see out over much of the New Territories and, on a clear day, the skyscrapers of Shenzhen and Shekou.

At the gateway to the summit are the Dragon and Phoenix Pillars, symbolising prosperity, longevity and harmony.

Hidden among the trees at the summit are ancient altars where, in centuries past, farmers came to seek blessings from the goddess Kwun Yum for peace, fertility and bountiful harvests.

Many visitors walk or take the shuttle bus to here to seek blessings from Kwun Yum or find peace. In winter, the warm moisture-laden air coming from the Hot Pots sometimes condenses into swirling mists, adding an aura of mystery to the stillness and tranquillity at the mountain top, a phenomenon we call the "dragon's breath".

Allow an hour to walk down from here.

KWUN YUM

Take a look around
What do you see?
Everything changes
but what remains the same
from one moment to the next?

Awareness itself,
a constant presence,
indescribable yet real
and full of joy.

Who is hiding
in the forms of this world,
behind your thoughts,
in the silence of the heart?

Will you explore the mystery,
the love and compassion
of Kwun Yum, your own Self
that is a mirror
for the entire Universe?